Track & Field | 1/17/2026 10:50:00 PM

Cleveland, Ohio - Returning to the track after the holiday break, the Oberlin College track & field team returned to Case Western Reserve for the Spartan Icebreaker. Led with individual victories from Anna Fritz, Daniel Ambar, Namu Makatiani, and Ella Wozek, the Crimson and Gold set the tone for high performances to start the new year.

Highlighting the field for the Crimson and Gold, Fritz won the triple jump with a personal-best mark of 10.74m. Entering the meet with a seed performance of 10.20m, the senior delivered a jump of 10.74m on her final attempt. 

Ambar spotlighted the Yeomen field events, winning the triple jump with a mark of 11.87m in his collegiate debut. Rookie Micah Quinones followed with a jump of 11.76m, also marking his collegiate debut.  

On the track, Makatiani won the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.36 after posting the top time in the prelims with a time of 8.67. Finishing five seconds ahead of her seed time, Wozek secured the victory, running 2:27.74. 

Impressing in the weight throw to kick off the meet, Abraham Cromartie V registered a personal best of 13.59m in his first attempt to place as the runner-up. The junior's mark of 13.59m is just nearly two meters better than his previous record of 11.64m. Judah Moenoa recorded a personal record of 12.60m in the weight throw to place fourth overall. 

"The throws group did a great job implementing what we have been working on in practice," Assistant Coach Jillian Roberts adds. "There was clear improvement from our meet in December which is exciting to see!"

Comartie V continued his day of strong performances in the shot put, opening with a 12.78m placing second overall. Over in the pits, Makatiani placed as the runner-up in the long jump with a jump of 6.48m on his final attempt. 

In the high jump, first-year Molly Button placed second overall with a jump of 1.40m in her collegiate debut. Averi Williams followed just behind Button in second with a mark of 1.35m, tying her personal best. 

Shifting to the track, Simon Tang followed Makatiani in the 60-meter hurdles placing third overall with a time of 8.91, improving from his prelim performance of 9.19. 

Amber Borofsky finished as the runner-up in the mile, notching a time of 5:37.68. Charlie Endres also placed in the second position in the mile, crossing the line in 4:38.44 in his season debut. 

The quartet of Clara Smith, Dylan Davis, Ryley Steggall, and Yrva Desormeaux finished as the top 4x200m relay team, clocking in a winning time of 1:51.89. The men's 4x200m team of Euan Uliassi, Raluchi Obioha, Andres Adam, and Josiah Howard placed second overall with a 1:37.49. 

The Crimson and Gold claimed the top finishes in the 800m. Led by Wozek, Samantha Soto finished as the runner-up with an indoor personal best of 2:33.91 followed by Borofsky (2:38.07), June Essinger (2:42.03), and Serafina Yan (2:45.47). 

In the men's 800m, Kai Bell-Torres placed second with a 2:05.39 in his collegiate debut, while Greydan Villano placed third in 2:10.60, just shy of his personal best. 

"I was very pleased with the distance/mid-distance performances," Assistant Coach Izzy Alexander continues. "Their engagement in the races and the competitiveness with which they raced were among the highest we have ever had for the first meet of the year. It is a testament to the hard work the athletes put in over the Winter Break and their drive to continue learning and improving." 

Fritz led Oberlin in the 200m, finishing second overall with a personal record of 27.66, while Steggall placed fourth in 27.89 and Smith rounded out the top five with a time of 27.94. Uliassi led the Oberlin pack in the men's 200, placing fourth with a season best of 24.41. 

Wrapping up the day with a relay, the team of Wozek, Soto, Celia Vaughn, and Val Harris placed second in the 4x400m relay with a time of 4:28.61. The men's 4x400m followed as Kit Evans, Bell-Torres, Tang, and George Buckman led Oberlin to a victory, producing a time of 3:35.34. 

The Crimson and Gold will resume action in a week when they travel south to the Ohio Wesleyan Invitational on Saturday, January 24. The first event is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. 

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